Happy Birthday Mr Keogh
by Tanith Panic
Summary: A Fierce, Brave Gang Story: Lofty is sad to see that Mr Keogh has no plans for his birthday and wants to put things right. Mr Keogh starts his own plans...


MR KEOGH HAS A BIRTHDAY

A FIERCE, BRAVE GANG ONE-SHOT – thanks to Trekkiel for the suggestion.

This is mainly fluff but there's a little hurt/comfort as well.

Mr Keogh was teaching the kids how to write dates properly, and wrote the next day's date as an example.

Very casually, as if it didn't matter at all, he said:

"That day happens to be my birthday."

Then very quickly, as if he was ashamed of himself:

"Right, then, it's all YOUR birthdays come at once, because all I want you to do is practise writing out different dates like I've shown you. No sums till tomorrow."

Lofty stayed after the class.

"What is it, Ben? You don't need to stay to practise, you got all those right, well done."

"I just wondered how you were going to spend your birthday?" Lofty asked.

"I'd never really thought about it… how do you spend yours?" Mr Keogh replied.

He saw the pain flash across the little boy's eyes.

On Lofty's birthday, he just got money shoved at him and was told to buy himself a present next time he went shopping with his classmates. Lofty never wanted to buy himself a big present in front of his friends, it looked too much like showing off, so he just saved up the money and asked his dad to put it in his Post Office account. Other mums baked cakes for birthdays; Jacob's mum always had a lovely cake made for HIS birthday, so nice and cleverly decorated that the kids all sighed before they finally asked Miss Honey in the canteen to cut it. Lofty's mum just gave him some cake money and sent him to Greggs before school.

"Um... I get money and put it in my post office account. I get a nice present to open from everybody at school though."

"Do you have a party?" Mr Keogh knew it was a silly idea before the words were out of his mouth.

"No… but my dad used to take me to the pictures but then he got bored because it was a kids' film and he doesn't like those really, he just pretended to."

It was then that Mr Keogh had his Big Idea.

"Ask round if everybody in the class can stay late after school tomorrow, Ben. You're not in any trouble, don't worry."

Ben smiled and nodded. His smile became even more confident as he had his own Big Idea.

"Miss Honey could you take us into town at lunch?" Max had run to catch Miss Honey before she went into school.

"I can't, sweetheart, I've got to serve dinners. But tell me what you wanted and I'll ask the other teachers."

Max whispered:

"We wanted to buy a cake for Mr Keogh because it's his birthday."

"Is it! He never said. But I'm offended, Max."

"Ooh dear."

"I'm offended because how dare you go and buy a cake when I can decorate one of my sponge cakes while I'm waiting for lunch time?"

"Oh Miss Honey that'd be great. You can have the money instead."

"No, you get somebody to go in town and buy him the nicest card ever with that money, and then you can all write on it. When did you want to give him the cake?"

"After school tonight, please."

"You've got the last lesson with Miss Bateman, haven't you? I'll come to her classroom with it. It'll have to be a sponge cake, mind, because I've only got one of those in stock, but I can make it look really special."

"Thank you Miss Honey. You're a star!"

Max sped back to Zoe. He'd been apart from her for five whole minutes and was eager to be half of Zax again.

Mr Keogh crept out of Greggs with a guilty look on his face. He didn't want anybody from the school to see this. He was glad it wasn't Dervla day, that greedy hound of his would have gobbled the lot, cake, icing and plastic message.

Miss Honey turned up at Miss Bateman's classroom right on time, like a star. Everybody gasped in wonder at the cake, even Miss Bateman. It wasn't a soppy pink one but was all the colours of the rainbow so it could have been a boy cake or a girl cake. And it had "Happy Birthday Mr Keyo" on it because that's how Miss Honey thought it was spelt.

Miss Honey and Miss Bateman carried the cake to Mr Keogh's classroom while the gang strutted behind them with their card. Mr Keogh was in already and – oh dear, he was putting a Gregg's cake on the desk! The Gang looked at each other in despair.

But Mr Keogh's cake simply said "Party day" on it.

"Hi, kids. I thought it would look big-headed if I put Happy Birthday on my own cake… oh my goodness, is that another cake?"

"But it's perfect!" Jacob said with his usual logic, "A birthday cake and a party cake! You must be well special to get two cakes, Mr Keogh!"

Lofty could understand the way Mr Keogh looked as if he was going to cry. It must be lovely to be worth two cakes.

"Now, let's get these beakers handed out… I've got sugar free fizzy drinks because we're having cake… you'll stay for a slice won't you, ladies?"

And there were Miss Freeman and Mrs Beauchamp coming in as well!

"Now I don't want to be a killjoy but this party has to end at five" said Mrs Beauchamp, adding "I've phoned all your parents to expect you back at eight o'clock."

Ethan panicked.

"Are we in a big detention?" he asked.

"Well, no, because look, here's Cal round from the Juniors to join in. Hi, Cal, get a beaker."

Miss Honey had scuttled off and had come back with two big carrier bags of sandwiches, quiche, sausage rolls and raw veggie nibbles.

"Welcome to my birthday party" said Mr Keogh almost shyly.

The kids ate, drank and chattered but they all wondered what they'd be doing from five till eight.

At ten to five, a smiley man tapped on the door.

"Mini bus for Keogh?"

"Okay, kids, outside and into the mini bus please."

"Will I have time for a wee first?" asked Ethan, trying not to look at the way Cal was sniggering at him.

The taxi driver smiled.

"Plenty of time. You get your wee, mate."

The mini bus drew up outside the cinema.

"I thought you should all see this educational film" Mr Keogh told them.

They didn't want to groan at him but it seemed a bit of a flat ending after the party fun.

He deliberately stopped them from seeing the name of the film on the entrance as they went in.

There were a few adverts, and trailers, and then – "Minions" started!

A quiet but heartfelt little cheer went up from the Gang.

Zoe and Max gasped at their luck. It was one film Zoe's big sister hadn't taken them to see just yet.

As he got out of the mini bus at his house, Lofty's eyes were shining.

"Oh Mr Keogh, it was more like OUR birthdays!" he said, adding "Thank you!"

"You're very welcome, Ben" said Mr Keogh, and thought "You just wait and see what I organise when it's YOUR birthday!"

(


End file.
